Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-22

the chief treasures, that would shine in
any colleetionsof ceramics in any land, are
the great water-jars and bowls OF GUladala-
lara pottery-Pompean red with strange
figures painted upon them which it would
be no sin to worship since they are not
" in the Likeness of anything in the
heavens above or the earth beneath or the
waters under the earth"
MY LITTLE BRASS BEpsTEAD,
Whose slender framework is kept so
highly polished that it glitters like gold. is
draped, curtained and beruffled like a
French woman's-but has no manner of
springs and | would gladly exchange its
adamantine mattress for 4 good. soft board.
We have no quilts and seldom any use
for blankets in this portion of Mexico ; and
the single counterpart of damask-gor-
geously lowered in crimson and green,
fringed all around and tasselled at the
corners is disposed so as not to conceal
the fine linen Sheets that trail below It.
The latter are edged on all sides with lace
and garnisher with much dravn-work,
OF exceeding tineness and intricate pattern.
Mexican pillows are not fat and square,
like ours, but are flat and narrow each as
long as the bed is wide, like holsters. Their
pink and crimson ticks are stuffed with
cotton or Spanish moss and their cases are
the housewives especial pride. They are
of finest linen, with broad stripes OF
crocheted or lace insertion set in at ibe
sides, and much dainty needlewori- Or lace
ruffiing at the ends.
In Mexico the beds are all single no two
persons ever, under any circumstances be-
IN, tod 10 eli In oil
travels here, even in cane-stalk lacals III
remote rural districts, Betsy and | have
never been forced to " double UP, after the
heathenish American fashion-though not
infrequently the room has contained an
embarrassing number OF beds. Even II
this dainty home it is well TO draw the
veil over the various species of animals
that occupy the couch conformity with
myself, disputing its possession and often
gaining the day-or rather, the night
merely remarking that in the tropical
climate other creatures abound than the
wicked flea, when no man pursueth.
THE GROWING BEAUTY
OF this " Home, Sweet Home, and Of
thousands of similar ones in Mexico, is its
garden-though one would never mistrust
its existence without guide to first find it
out Standing in the patio, one is bewil-
dered by the succession of doors, leading
into the numberless rooms of the casa.
Past parlors, dining-room and kitchen, past
stables, store-rooms, and heaven knows
what, we open wooden door III the high
wall, exactly like all the rest and find our
selves in the corral. This secondary court
yard, which is also surrounded by wall
as high as the house, and IS in reality
part of the house itself, is devoted princi-
pal,v TO the goats and swine, the latter
finding congenial wallowing places in the
pools of greenish mud formed from the
overflow of the adobe troughs where the
horses and donkeys drink. No trace OF
our beautiful garden here; but climb some
high adobe steps, open couple OF heavy
doors, wander through a walled passage,
and presto the scene is changed as by
magic.
Here are acres of roses in perpetual
bloom, pansy-bordered walks beside muir
muring streams, beds of choicest flowers
beneath greenest yerdure-orange trees,
lines, olives. figs. hundred strange tropi-
cal varieties. and-best of all-gnarled old
apple trees like those Of home. whose
dropping branches, though fruitless here,
almost make US forget the weary miles that
lie between.
Within these silent shades one is COM
pletely isolated from the world, and finds
it hard to realize that all around lies pop
ulous city, which was heavy with age be-
fore the present century was born No
sound of human life or labor penetrates
here-only the ringing of the cathedral
bells falls softly on the ear, and the singing
OF birds in the green canopy overhead. Be
tween the branches we catch glimpseS Of
church towers, all with uplifted crosses
pointing the Catholic route 10 heaven, and
eveT-varying pictures of mountain peaks,
which on every hand present their
CEAsELEss CHANGES OF LIGHT AND SHADE
In one corner Of this garden is large
circular tank, of pink-tinted adobe, about
FIVE feet deep, which answers the triple
purpose Of bath, laundry and irrigating
reservoir. Stone steps lead up TO the top
of the tank and another flight descend in
side, for the convenience OF bathers. Every
body bathes here, every day, from Oldest
TO youngest, from the melancholy mistress
to her humbleSt servant, the water being
renewed from springs within
the hills, and conducted thence by pipes
and bitches ali over the extensive grounds.
One unaccustomed 10 this manner Of
bathing hesitates at first, and thinks I'M
easily of Susannah and the elders and other
historic episodes; but none among the
gentle people would Willingly intrude, and
it is easy to pest a maid in the path to warn
stragglers. Prescott tells US that
the esthetic Ixtlilxoehi,l, King Of the Tex
cucoans, had bath exactly like this in his
palace grounds.
The overflow of the tank forms a shallow
pool, beside which are kept the small
wooden trays and piles OF amole root used
for soap, the only furnishings required for
a Mexican laundry. Tall Gala lilies fringe
this miniature lake, and the dark-haired
creqda kneeling among them, like Moses
mother among the bullrushes, is a not IN
picturesque addition to the landscape, as
She slaps away at the family linen, and
scrubs it with ragged roots of an,ole, regard
less of wear and tear.
FANNIE B. WARD.